Since then, a lot of taboos have been broken. First and foremost the terroir (soil and weather) must be considered. Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula, located at 44 latitude north is suitable for grape growing, save a few unfortunately cold winters. Today, researchers make available clones and hybrids that can survive extremely low temperatures. (i.e. - 25 C).

Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island are located on latitude 41 north corresponding to northern California.

Altitude, prevailing winds, and slope, vicinity to a large body of water also contribute positively to yields, taste, and overall growing conditions.

Ontario’s weather conditions vary between macro-, meso- and microclimates.

Macroclimate: This is the general climatic pattern of a region that typically covers many kilometers pending on topography, distance from large bodies of water. Niagara Peninsula is located on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Mesoclimate: Refers to the conditions at a particular vineyard that is different from the neighboring vineyard because of topography including exposure to the south or north. In the northern hemisphere south exposure is generally considered to be better for grape growing. Differences in mesoclimate occur over ten to hundreds of meters or a few kilometers i.e Beamsville Bench in the Niagara Peninsula.

Microclimate: refers to the climate within and immediately around a vine canopy and individual vine.

Ontario’s vineyards can and do produce fine quality fruit due to the unique macroclimate that protects and nurtures thousands of hectares of vineyards. Lakes Erie and Ontario act as “hot-water bottles” moderating climate extremes in both summer and winter.

Incoming solar radiation from the sun passes through the atmosphere and strikes the earth equally on land and water. Land, being a solid mass, absorbs the short wave radiation and heats slowly by convection. It takers five times as much energy to raise the temperature of water through one degree Centigrade as land but this energy is given off when the weather turns cold.

The land and water reradiate the heat in the form of long wave radiation, which heats the air above it. Thus in summer the air above the land is warm or hot and the air above the water remains cool.

In the winter the land cools rapidly and so does the air above it. The water loses its heat slowly and heats the air above it thereby moderating the nearby land. The further away from the land the more extreme the temperature.

In Niagara, the Niagara Escarpment acts as a buffer for the on-shore winds from Lake Ontario. Its presence reduces the chance of frost and blows away fog and mists. This in turn prevents rotting.

The vines particularly tenderer vinifera varieties could suffer damage or be killed when the temperature drops below - 25 C. However, Ontario winters produce their own miracles.

This is the phenomenon of ice wine, that naturally freezes ripe grape bunches, which in turn can be converted in expert hands to ice wines, often referred to as “the nectar of gods”.

Other growing regions of Ontario, such as the vineyards near Windsor (Lake Erie North Shore and Pelee Island, are affected by the moderating influence of Lake Erie and their warmer climate due to the effects of their southerly location.

Pelee Island is Canada’s most southerly point – on the same latitude as Rome!

Prince Edward County also benefits from Lake Ontario, but here winters are severe and temperatures drop below – 25 C more often than in the Niagara Peninsula. Viticulturists must bury vines to protect them from freezing. It is more expensive to farm in the County, but when the growing season is warm enough the resulting crop has sufficient acidity as well as natural sugar to yield succulent wines.

Ontario’s soil conditions are suitable being:

Clay loam soils between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment

Pelee Island and Lake Erie North Shore prevail.

Sandy loam soils are found near the Lake Ontario shores. Silty clay over glacial till soils are found on the Escarpment Benches.

Prince Edward County soils are clay lime mixtures.

Grapes require long growing seasons with warm/hot temperatures and cool nights to yield suitable acid/sugar balance. Low humidity helps avoid rot. Most of those conditions prevail on Ontario’s vineyards now measuring approximately 6000 hectares.

Ontario now has four officially recognized growing regions:

Niagara Peninsula
Lake Erie North Shore
Pelee Island
Prince Edward County

Niagara Peninsula has been sub-divided into 12 based on geography and statistical weather data but not on taste of wines.

They are:
Niagara on the Lake region
Niagara lakeshore (one the Lake Ontario)
Niagara River (Along the river the area running towards Niagara Falls)
Four Mile Creek (From Niagara on the Lake towards Niagara Falls)
Creek Shores (Near Lake Ontario west of Niagara on the Lake)
St. David’s Bench (South and west of Niagara on the Lake)

The vineyards are on flatland and generally benefit from higher heat summations. Grapes contain less acidity and the wines are softer.

Niagara Escarpment has been sub-divided into:
Lincoln Lakeshore (On the Lake Ontario north of Queen Elisabeth Highway)
Beamsville Bench (On the Escarpment)
Twenty Mile Bench (East of the Escarpment)
Short Hills (South of the Queen Elizabeth Highway)
Vinemount Ridge (South of the Escarpment and Twenty Mile Bench is the largest of all).
Lake Erie North Shore

The vineyards cover almost 200 Hectares and enjoy a favorable mesoclimate. They have a southern exposure complemented by the moderating effect of the Lake Erie, and yield fruit that result in some of the best red wines of the province.

Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes (Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron).

This region gets the most sunshine in Canada and affords growers to harvest two weeks before Niagara peninsula. The soils vary from gravelly loam to clay and sandy loam. Colio’s CEV series of wines reflect terroir very well.

Pelee Island is marginally closer to the Equator than Rome, and enjoys a reputation of the southern-most point of Canada.

It enjoys long growing seasons and may start picking as early as the end of August until mid-October. Pelee Island has approximately 200 hectares of flatland vineyards, most of which belongs to the Pelee Island winery. The soil consists of limestone bedrock covered by sand, loam and clay.

Prince Edward County is Ontario’s newest wine region. More than 200 hectares are now under vines where pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling, pinot gris and vinifera hybrids from Germany ( i.e. Geisenheim School of Oenology) thrive.

Some of the chardonny and pinot noir can compete with the best anywhere.

Maintaining a vineyard in the county is an expensive endeavor. Vines must be covered with earth before bitter winter colds set in, and uncovered by March. Still extra severe winters often cause cold damage and kill vines. Temperatures of - 25 C are common on unprotected areas. Regardless, growers and visionaries’ recently planted and waited patiently to obtain quality fruit. More entrepreneurs are now investing in vineyards.

Both white and red grapes are grown. Successful growers restrict yields to obtain better flavour and sugar concentration.

The following grapes are planted: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, zinfandel, pinot noir, nebbiolo, barbera, lemberger, zweigelt, petit syrah (durif), (all vinifera); Marechal Foch, chambourcin, baco noir, de Chaunac, chelois, buffalo, catawba, Delaware, president, rosette, Villard noir, (all labrusca hybrids).

For white wines, growers prefer; riesling, chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot blanc, gruner veltliner, chardonnay musque, aligote, viognier, sauvignon blanc, semillon, gewurztraminer, Ortega, bacchus, (all vitis vinifera or vinifera hybrids), seyval blanc, vidal, dutchess, Cayuga, Elvira, New York Muscat, verdelet (all labrusca hybrids).

Due to its thick skin vidal is particularly popular for growers specializing in ice wine grapes, although riesling yields by far the best ice wines and accordingly are also much more expensive.

V.Q.A (Vintners Quality Alliance)

Vintners Quality Alliance was formed in 1988 to help consumers identify wines which are entirely of Ontario grown grapes, and also to save the industry from oblivion. By 1999 the government of Ontario passed the law putting enforcement rules into the hands of provincial regulators.

The rules are as follows:
Grape varieties must be from an approved list of vitis vinifera and/or recognized hybrid grapes.
Wines must be entirely fermented, processed, blended, finished and bottled in Ontario.
Estate bottled wines must consist of grapes grown on land owned and managed by the bottling winery.
Ice wine grapes must be harvested after a 24-hour period of – 8 C temperature.
Ice wine grapes must contain a minimum of 38 Brix sugar.
An expert panel under the supervision of the L.C.B.O must approve VQA wines.
Sub-region wines must be produced entirely from grapes grown in the delimited area.
Varietal wines must contain a minimum of 85 percent of the variety on the label.

Now he consults and writes to increase wine, beer and liquor awareness. He conducts seminars and would be pleased to consider your requests. To peruse the list of his published books and order please contact him at hirayrberberoglu_3@sympatico.ca

Hryar Berberoglu www.littlefatwino.com